A Curse of Shadows and Ice (Shadowbound, Bk. 1)
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Overview
From BookTok sensation and USA Today bestselling author Catharina Maura comes a spicy, enchanting Beauty and the Beast retelling that will leave you breathless.
Princess Arabella of Althea has never had a choice — not really. When Felix Osiris, the Shadow Emperor, threatens to overthrow her kingdom, she is left with one impossible option: agree to marry him. It is the kind of arrangement that begins with fury and ends in something far more dangerous.
Felice's empire is not simply powerful. It is cursed. And Arabella, a princess who carries forbidden and volatile magic of her own, may be the only one capable of easing its devastating grip on his people. A deal is struck between them — she will help him minimize the curse's effects, and in return, he will let her go.
But nothing about their arrangement stays simple. As Felix takes on the task of teaching Arabella to control her wild, dangerous magic, the walls between them begin to crack. Hatred is a fragile armor, and it does not hold forever. What replaces it is something neither of them expected — and something both of them fear.
The curse, however, is not patient. It will not wait for them to figure out what they are to each other. And Arabella is beginning to understand that the stakes of breaking it run far deeper than any agreement they made.
Series Information
Series Name: The Shadowbound Series
Series Reading Order
This series is best read in publication order.
Book 1 - A Curse of Shadows and Ice
Book 2 - These Cursed Fates
Topics and Key Themes
Narrative Tropes
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn
Marriage of Convenience
Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Key Themes
A curse with a clock — Felix's empire is dying, and Arabella's forbidden magic may be its only salvation.
Hatred as armor — two people use fury to guard against feelings neither is ready to name.
Power learned under the enemy's roof — being taught by your captor changes more than just your magic.
Freedom as the price of the deal — Arabella's promised escape grows harder to want the longer she stays.
A kingdom's fate tied to one woman's heart — breaking the curse demands more than either ruler bargained for.
Who is this book for?
Primary Genre: Romantasy - Fairy Tale Retelling
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5: Very Spicy
Turning up the heat! Multiple steamy scenes with clear, descriptive detail and strong chemistry. Romance and spice share the spotlight here.
Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will enjoy the spicy enemies-to-lovers tension, cursed world-building, and slow-burn emotional depth of a Beauty and the Beast romantasy retelling.
About the Author
Catharina Maura is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes angsty, fast-paced romance novels that break your heart before they lead you to a hard-won happily ever after. Cat lives in Hong Kong with her husband and a dozen houseplants that all have names. When she isn't daydreaming about future characters, she's exploring the world and seeking out new adventures.
Similar Authors
Sarah J. Maas, Raven Kennedy, Nisha J. Tuli
Reader FAQs
It leans more toward romance. The fantasy setting and curse mechanics serve the emotional core, but the central focus is the evolving relationship between Arabella and Felix. Readers who prioritize character dynamics over complex world-building will find the balance suits them.
Both share enemies-to-lovers tension, a strong-willed heroine with dangerous magic, and slow-burn emotional depth. A Curse of Shadows and Ice has lighter political complexity and a tighter, more contained premise than Maas's multi-threaded epics.
The spice level is rated 4 out of 5, placing it firmly in explicit adult romance territory. The story also carries significant slow-burn tension before that heat develops, so the emotional buildup is as prominent as the physical.
The book is written for adults. The explicit content, mature themes around power and coercion, and emotional complexity make it best suited to readers 18 and older. It is not intended for a young adult audience.
The pacing is deliberate. The story is built around a slow-burn romance and a gradual emotional unraveling between two guarded characters. Readers who prefer tension that builds steadily over time will be more satisfied than those seeking quick resolution.